Industries

Batteries

For each type of battery manufactured, Amada Miyachi offers a production solution: resistance welding, laser welding, laser marking or laser cutting. We have
in-depth knowledge and experience for each category and application, for example, laser welding of dissimilar metals for battery tab welding and resistance welding for tab design
optimization. Our in-house application labs enable proven processes to be delivered with optimized systems.

Amada Miyachi has extensive experience welding and marking batteries:

Cylinder batteries

Battery tab welding (resistance or laser)

Weld short circuit protection (resistance or laser)

Weld internal connections (resistance or laser)

Laser seam weld battery can

Laser mark battery can

Prismatic batteries

Battery tab welding (resistance or laser)

Laser weld fill port

Laser weld terminal

Weld internal connections (resistance or laser)

Laser seam weld battery can

Laser mark battery can

Pouch batteries (such as LiPoly)

Battery tab welding (laser)

Laser cut electrodes

Ultracapacitor batteries

Laser weld fill port

Weld internal connections (resistance or laser)

Laser seam weld battery can

Laser mark battery can

There are many materials joining requirements in battery manufacture. Depending on the size, type, and capacity, these include both
internal and tab-to-terminal connections, can and fill plug sealing, and external connections. Several joining options can be considered
including ultrasonic , resistance, and laser welding. Ultrasonic welding is most often used to join the internal electrode battery materials
which are typically constructed of thin foils of copper and aluminum. The remaining joins - including connections inside the can, and
external terminal tab connections - are suited to both resistance and laser welding. The decision to use one technology or the other is
determined both by the type of weld required and production requirements. Laser welding is the joining technology of choice for can and plug
applications (seam sealing).

Resistance welding is a well-established battery spot welding technology - 40 years old - and has been used
in the battery industry for almost as long. Since then, advances in battery spot welders have given users improved
capabilities to control different aspects of the process. The introduction of DC inverter power supplies with closed-loop control, for
example, enabled welding engineers to accommodate changes in the secondary loop to address resistance. Similarly, polarity switching for
capacitive discharge power supplies to enable weld nugget balancing, as well as the addition of electrode force measurement and displacement,
provides manufacturers with more tools to ensure weld quality.

Laser welding was introduced to the manufacturing marketplace in the mid-1980's. As the technology
has matured, and the awareness spread, laser welding has become an established process. Today, it is just another tool in the manufacturing
engineer's toolbox, implemented as needed. The laser produces a high intensity beam of light that can be focused to diameters as small as 0.01".
The concentration of light energy is able to melt metals rapidly, instantaneously forming a weld nugget. The non-contact process has no
consumables, provides extremely tight control over the process to size the weld nugget according to requirements, and allows for implementation
methods that can be geared toward the specific manufacturing requirements. Laser welding enables joining of many materials/combinations of
materials, can weld thick parts, and has no limitation on proximity of weld spots.